Individual and neighborhood level characteristics of pediatric firearm injuries presenting at trauma centers in Colorado.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Firearm injuries are the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States. In Colorado, firearm injuries have surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death in youth. Local research is necessary to characterize risk factors associated with pediatric firearm injuries. We sought to categorize demographics, neighborhood characteristics, and trends in pediatric firearm injuries in Colorado. METHODS: A review of pediatric firearm-injured patients (18 years or younger) evaluated at four trauma centers in Colorado from 2008 to 2019 was conducted. Clinical information, injury intent, and demographics were collected. Patient addresses were geocoded to census tracts to obtain neighborhood-level characteristics. Annual trends in firearm injury incidence per trauma evaluation were analyzed using regression modeling. RESULTS: There were 446 firearm injuries during the study period. The median age was 16 years, and 87.0% were male. Assault was the most common injury intent (64.6%), and 92.0% of patients were from metropolitan (rural-urban continuum code 1-3) areas. Neighborhoods associated with firearm injuries were characterized by lower median household income ($47,112 vs. $63,443, p < 0.001) and higher levels of poverty (19.1% vs. 9.4%, p < 0.001) compared with median state levels. There was a 14.0% increase in firearm injuries compared with overall trauma evaluations for each year in the study period (incidence rate ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.20; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of pediatric firearm injuries increased significantly from 2008 to 2019 compared with overall trauma evaluations in Colorado. Children and adolescents who live in more socially vulnerable neighborhoods are disproportionately impacted, and injury prevention resources should be focused on these communities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic and Epidemiolgic; Level III.